Separable bookcase



' (No Model.) 2.Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. H. L. WERNIGKE..

SEPARA'BLE BOOKCASE.

Patented July 21, 1896.

. 42 DWK/755555 @www UNITED STATES'l PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO H. L. IVERNIOKE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, ,MINNESOTA SEPARABLE BooKcAsE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,401, dated July 21,1896. Application ned .April 6,1896.' semina. 586,405. N0 model.)

T0 all whom, t ntm/ concern:

vBe it known that I, OTTO H. L. IVERNICKE, of the city of Minneapolis,county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sepa- Arable Bookcases, of which the followinglis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in separable bookcases, andparticularly to separable bookcases having doors hinged at their upperedges to the frontof each section and adapted to be turned up into asubstantially horizontal position and then pushed back over the spacecontaining the books; and the invention consists, generally, in meansfor locking the doors of a bookcase of this kind by mechanism thatpermits all of said doors to be simultaneously locked.

The invention consists7 further, in the constructions and combinations,all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims. i

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a front elevation of a bookcase embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is adetail section on a larger scale than that shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5,and 6 are details showing a modiiied construction of the lock. Figs. 7and 8 are details showing the means for connecting the locking Ydevicesof two or more tiers of crates or sections.

It will be understood that while I have referred to the case hereinshown and described as a bookcase, it is adapted for holding many otherarticles. It may be used in place of the ordinary shelving in dry-goodsstores, grocery stores, butlers pantries, and other places, and hence Ido not limit myself to the use of this device for any-particularpurpose. V For convenience, however, in this description I describe thedevice as a bookcase.

In the drawings, 2 represents the base, 3 3 sections, and 5 the top of asectionalY case constructed in accordance with my invention. Any numberof sections 3, all of which are preferably made interchangeable, may beemployed to constitute the case. These sections may be piled one uponanother, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, and other tiers ofsections may be arranged end to end with the sections 3, all of saidsections being provided with means for locking the doors thereof, ashereinafter described.4 I have shown a case of this character in PatentNo. 557,736, issued April 7, 1896, to M. O. Burr and myself, and inPatent No. 557,737, also issued April 7, 1896, to myself.

I v provide each section of the crate with means arranged thereon whichwill lock the door at of that particular crate and which will cooperatewith the locking devices of each of the other crates. I also providemeans for connecting the locking devices of one set or tier of crates orsections with the locking devices of one or more adjoining tiers ofcrates, so that all of said locking devices will be simultaneouslyoperated.

The mechanism for locking each individual crate, and which, it will beunderstood, forms a part of said crate and does not interfere with thepiling up of said crates or their removal, will be best understood byreferring to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. As here shown, each door iis provided near its lower edge with a suitable hook 7, the end of whichis turned upwardly; and upon the inner wall of the end of the crate Iprovide a bar 9, having upon its end a hook ll, adapted to interlockwith the hook 7 upon the door of the crate for the purpose of fasteningsaid door in its closed position. This bar is preferably pivoted by asuitable pivot-pin 13, passing through a slot l5 in said bar, to the endwall of the crate, and thisslot permits a horizontal movement of the baruponthe pivot-pin 13, and the pivot is preferably placed at a point thatis nearer to the back end of the bar thanto the forward end, so that theforwardl end of said bar that is provided with the hook ll overbalancesthe otherend of the bar and tends to hold the hook 1l down in engagementwith the hook 7, or the same result may be obtained by making the frontend of the bar heavier than the rear end. A suitable guide 17 isprovided upon the inner wall of the crate 3 near the forward end of thebar 9, and said guide causes said bar to rise and fall in a verticalplane and limits the movement thereof. This guide might be dispensedwith, however, and any other suitable IOO means be employed for causingthe hook upon the end of the bar 9 to come in proper alinement with thehook 7 upon the door 4.

I provide each crate with a vertically-sliding bar 19, preferablylocated in the back corner of said crate and extending through thebottom plate of said crate, or being capable of extending through asuitable slot in the bottom plate of said crate. There a number ofcrates are used these bars will all stand in the same perpendicular lineand the lower end of each bar 19 will rest upon the top end of the nextbar below, and I prefer to form the end of each bar either at the top orbottom with a recess preferably of conical form, and to provide theopposite end of each bar with an end corresponding thereto and adaptedto fit into said recess. This aids in holding the bars in correctalinement.

Any suitable means may be used for holding the bars 19 in position,though I prefer to use suitable cleats 20, secured to the wall of thecrate, as shown in Fig. 2. Each bar 19 is provided upon its forward sidewith a projection 25 that extends over the end of the bar 9 and isadapted, when said bar 19 is depressed by its own gravity, to encounterthe rear end of the bar 9, turning said bar upon its pivot 13 andraising the forward or hook end of said bar, as indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 3. A bell-crank lever h47 is pivoted at 29 upon the endwall of the section, and is provided with the slotted end 31 and 33,engaging pins 35 and 37, respectively arranged upon the bar 9 and uponthe projection 25 upon the bar 19.

I preferably provide the base 2 of the case with a vertically-operatingbar or rod 41 that is adapted to engage the lower end of the bar 19 inthe lower crate A shaft 43 is journaled in suitable bearin in the base 2of the case. This shaft is provided near its rear end with a cam 45. Alever 47 is pivoted upon a suitable stationary support 49, and its freeend engages the upright rod 41 so that whenever said shaft 43 is turnedupon its axis the cam 45 thereon engages the lever 47 and raises the rod41, causing it to engage with the lower rod 19 and to move all of therods 19 in the vertical tier of crates above the base 2. I provide theshaft 43 with the cam 45 for the express purpose of permitting itsimultane- -ously to raise all of t-he bars in the crates above. Theshaft 43 preferably does not extend through the front wall of the base2, but is preferably provided at its forward end with a squared portionadapted to receive a key 44 having an aperture adapted to fit theforward end of said shaft, said keybeing adapted to be inserted throughan openin g in the front wall of the base. When the key 44 is removedthe opening in the front wall of the case is closed by means of apivoted plate 49 and a suitable lock.

The operation of the device is as follows: The parts being in theposition shown in Fig.

3 of the drawings, if it is desired to unlock the tier of crates abovesaid base the key 44 is inserted and made to engage with the shaft 43,and said shaft is then turned upon its axis, thereby causing the cam 45to permit the lever 47 and the rod 41 and all of the rods 19 in thecrates that are arranged above the crate 2 to move downward. The firstdownward movement of the lever 19 causes the bell-crank lever 27 to turnupon its pivot and to push forward the levers 9 out of engagement withthe hooks 7. The further movement of the rod 19 brings the projection 25thereon against the rear end of the lever or bar 9, depressing the rearend of said lever and elevating the forward end and carrying the hook 11above and out of the path of the hook 7.

An upward movement of the bar 19 causes a reversal of the movement ofthe bar or lever 9. In this instance the forward end of the bar 9 dropsvertically, and the further movement of the bar 19 through thebell-crank lever 27 draws back the lever 9 horizontally so as to bringthe hook 1l thereon into close engagement with the hook 7, and this movement of the bar 9 will insure the complete closing of the door.

Should any of the doors be open when the device is moved into positionto lock the doors, it will make no diiference in the operation, as onthe closing of the door the hook 7 will ride under the hook 11, raisingthe forward end of the bar 9, and when the door is fully closed the hook11 will, by gravity, fall into engagement with the hook 7.

W'here a bookcase is used consisting of several tiers of sectionsarranged with their ends abutting one against the other when lockedtogether, I prefer to provide means for simultaneously locking all ofthe doors of all of the crates or sections. For this purpose I providethe rear end of the shaft 43 with a suitable pinion 53, and the bar 41,which is preferably secured to the wall of the base by suitable cleats42, is preferably ar ranged in front of said pinion or substantially inline with the cam 45 upon the shaft 43. The forward end of the shaft 43is provided with a suitable support, such, for exampleias a bracket 46,(shown in Figs. 2 and 3), secured to the wall of the base. It will beunderstood that there will be a shaft 43 and a corresponding bar 41, asshown in Figi S, arranged in each base, and each of said shafts beingprovided with a pinion 53, a connecting bar 57 will be arranged toextend from one crate to the next one, and to engage the pinions 53 uponthe shafts 43.' As here shown, each of said bars 57 is provided with aloop portion 59, having a series of teeth G1, and the end of the shaftv43 extends into said loop, and said pinion 53 on said shaft engages thegear-teeth 61 in said loop 59. By

this means, if any one of the shafts 43 is turned, all of the shaftsthat are connected therewith by the connecting-bars 57 will be IOO IIO

simultaneously turned, and thereby all of the locking devices will besimultaneously operated.

It will be noted that I may use levers 9 of standard length for allsizes of crates, it being necessary only on the deeper crates to providerods 19 having deeper projections 25, so that said projections willalways upon downward movement of the rods 19 engage the rear end of thelever 9.

Instead of using the lever 9 of the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of thedrawings, I may, in some instances, use the lever 9 shown in Figs. 4 and5. In this instance the lever 9 does not have any longitudinal movementupon its pivot 13, but as here shown, it is arranged within a casting 14which forms a guide therefor, and the rear end of the lever is engageddirectly by projections upon the rod 19. The hook 11 upon the lever 9 isupon the side thereof, as shown in Fig. 5, and engages thevertically-sliding or gravity hook 7 that is secured upon the inner sideof the door 4, the projecting part of the hook in this instance being atthe side so as to engage with the side hook 11 upon the lever 9. Theshank of the hook 7 is arranged in a guide 8 secured upon the door, andthis permits the hook 7 to have a rising and falling movement, so thatwhen the locking mechanism is set for the purpose of locking the doors,before the door is closed, the end of the hook 7 will engage the outerend of the hook 11 and will ride over said hook and drop into placebehind it.

rIhe face 7 of the hook 7 is beveled and inclined, as shown in Fig. 6 ofthe drawings, so that when the forward end of the lever 9 is depressed,the beveled face of the hook 11 will ride down over the face 7 and drawthe door completely to a closed position. Where there are a multiplicityof doors, all to be locked simultaneously, it is important thatsufficient allowance be made forthe fact that the various doors may notall close normally to the same degree, as some of the doors may becomemore or less warped or out of true. I provide for this contingency byhaving the locking-levers 9 arranged with a beveled face, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, or as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by giving to the end of thelever two movements, first, a movement in a vertical direction to bringthe hook on the lever into line with the hook on the door, (and thiswill be done even though the door is not fully closed,) and, second, aninward or horizontal movement, which, in case the door is not fullyclosed, will draw it to a closed position. This permits the lockingdevice to engage and lock the door without requiring any arbitrary pointof engagement, and insures the proper locking of one of the doors eventhough there may be considerable variation in the positions which theynormally assume when turned down over the front of the crate.

There are, in fact, many different constructions of devices that I mightemploy in place of the hook 7 and the lever 9, and the devicescooperating therewith; hence I do not desire to be limited to thedetails of the mechanism herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A case for books or other articles comprising aseries of independent crates or sections adapted to be piled one uponanother and each provided with a door, hinged at its upper edge andadapted to be turned down to close the front oi' said crate or section,and a locking mechanism arranged in each crate for locking said door inits closed position, the locking mechanisms beingarranged to cooperatewith each other, whereby the same are simultaneously operated.

2. A case for books or other articles, comprising a series ofindependent crates orsections, each provided with a suitable door, saidsections being adapted to be placed one on top of another, and eachsection being provided with an independent door -locking mechanismarranged to be moved by the movement of the locking mechanism of theadjacent crate.

3. A case for books or other articles, comprising a series of crates orsections each provided with a suitable door, a locking mechanism forsaid door, and a vertically-movable operating-rod in each crate arrangedto operate the locking mechanism of its crate and to move theoperating-rod of the superimposed crate.

4.- The combination, with the crate or section having an open front andprovided with a door hinged at its upper edge, of the verticallymovableoperating-rod 19 arranged in said section, a locking mechanism forlocking said door inits closed position, and connections between saidlocking mechanism and said operating-rod, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with the crate or section provided with an openfront and with a door hinged at its upper edge to said plate or section,said door being provided with a suitable hook 7, of the locking-lever 9arranged to engage said hook, and the operating-rod 19 connected to saidlever.

6. The combination,with the series of crates or sections, each providedwith a door hinged at its upper edge and adapted to be turned down toclose the front of said'section, a locking mechanism in each sectionarranged to engage and lock said door, an operating-rod in each sectionarranged to move said locking mechanism, the rod in each section beingarranged to engage the corresponding rod in the superimposedsection,whereby all of said locking mechanisms are simultaneouslyoperated.

7. The combination, in a case for holding books or other articles, of asuitable base, a series of independent crates or sections adapted to beplaced one upon top of another, and all IOO IIO

supported upon said base, eaeh of said crates or sections being providedWith a door hinged at its upper edge and adapted to close the front ofsaid crate or section, a locking meehanism in each crate or section forloekng the door thereof, and means arranged upon said base forsimultaneously operating all of said locking mechanisms.

S. The combination, with the erate or seetion provided With the doorhaving a suitable hook 7, of the lever 9 provided with the slot l5 andpivoted upon a suitable pivot 13, and pro vided also with the hook 1larranged to engage the hook 7 upon the door of the section, theverticaliyinovable operating-rod 19 provided with the projection 25 andadapted to engage the rear end of the lever 9 when said operating-rod isdepressed, and the hell-crank lever 2T eonneeted to said rod 1f) and thelever 9.

9. The eomhination,with th e ease composed of a series of crates orsections arranged to he seeured one upon top of another, ol lookingmechanism in eaeh crate for locking the door thereof, and means forsimultaneouslyoperating all of said locking ineehinism.

lO. The Combination, With a erate or seetion, provided With a doorhinged at its upper edge, said door being provided near its lower edgewith a suitable hook or projection a lever arranged to engage said hook,and means for giving to said lever, attei.l sueh engagement, an inwardor horizontal movement for th e purpose of drawing said door to a Closedposition.

11. The combination, with a Crate or seetion, provided with a doorhinged at its upper edge and adapted to turn down into a vertical

